Door latch for motor vehicles



D. WILSON DOOR LATCH F612 MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 14. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet I IR A tlorney Aug. 23, 1932 D. WILSON DOOR LATCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 14, 1931 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 v PA ENT OFFICE DAVID WILSON, NEW YORK, H; Y.

noon. an'rcn ron moron. vnmcms Application filed February 14, 1931. Serial a... 515,880.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in door latch operating means, and particularly it pertains to latch operating means for the doors of motor vehicles, carriages and the like.

Heretofore it has been the common practice to operate the latch bolt of vehigle doors by means of a knob or handle which projects from the door, and which due to its projection is a constant source of annoyance. Furthermore, these operating knobs or handles often become broken off from the door; and thereby give the same an unsightly appearancel It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a novel door latch operating means which does not project beyond the plane of the door, and which is normally flush with the exposed surface of that portion of the door bywhich the operating means is carried, thus eliminating all projecting parts, and the disadvantages thereof.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawin illustrat ing the invention in its preferre form, and the following detailed description of the co struction therein shown.

In the drawings, A I Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the door of a motor vehicle. equipped with a latch operatingdevice constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section showin the bottom edge of the window opening 0 the door, and illustrating the position of the parts constructed in ac-, cordance with the present invention,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a vehicle door equipped with a device in accordance with the present invention, the latch operating 'means being shown in full lines "in the position which it occupies when the latch bolt is in door holding position, and also illustrating the manner in which the latch operating means is locked against op eration, and;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view illustratingthe position of the parts when the latch bolt is in the door releaslng position.

link 20 as at 21, there is a link or the like 22 Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates a motor vehicle body and .6 designates the door. The body is of the closed type, and the door has a window opening 7 which is adapted to be closed in the ordinary manner by'a glass window pane or the like 8.

By reference to Figure 3' it will be noted that the door'latch is designated 9 and the same has a latch bolt or the like 10 which is adapted to engage a keeper 11 carried by one of the stanchions or other part of the body of the car and when the latch bolt 10 is engaged with the keeper 11, the door is maintained closed. The latch may be of any conventional form, and has a latch spindle or the like 12 to which the operating lmob or handle in the ordinary construction is attached, and by which it is operated. However, in the present device this operating knob or handle is eliminated and the latch bolt operating means of the present invention is attached thereto in such a manner as to operatethe same in a manner to be hereinafter described.

In accordance with the present invention, the latch operating means ismounted wholly within the door and comprises a lever 15 pivotally mounted as at 16 and having a horizontal portion 17 --a downwardly bent portion 18 terminating in a curved end 19. The latch spindle 12 has secured thereto. a link or the like 20 and pivotally connected to this which in turn is pivotally connected as at 23 5 to the pivoted lever 15 heretofore mentioned. Thus it will be apparent that as the lever 15 is rocked about its pivotal point, the latch spindle 12 will be rotated in its bearing, and the latch will-be operated to move the latch boltto releasing position. In that form of latch which I have selected for the illustration ofv my invention, the latchepindle 12 carries an operating lugbr member 25which engages the portion 26 of the latch-bolt 10 I and moves the same against the action of a spring 27 when the latch bolt is moved to the releasing position and which spring 27 serves to return the latch bolt 10 toits door holding position in which position it is shown in Figure 3.

In its operation to move the latch bolt 10 to door releasing position, the lever 15 is depressed and for this purpose, I provide an operating member 30. This operating member 30 is set in an opening '31 in the lower edge of the window opening 7. The operating member 30 has depending skirt portions 32 which operatively engage the side walls of a wall or the like 33 in which the operating member is slidably mounted. At its upper end the operating member engages a gasket or the like 34 to provide a water tight joint between the upper edge of the' medium of the link 36, the lever' 15 will be rocked downwardly about its pivotal point 16, and through the medium of the link 22 and the lever 20, the spindle 12 of the latch will be operated and the latch bolt 10 retracted from its door holding position.

To return the parts to their normal position and assisting the heretofore mentioned spring 27 in this operation, a spring 40 may be employed. This spring 40 is connected at one end as at 41 to a stationary point on the door, and as at 42 to the lever 15 and when the lever 15 is rocked downwardly as heretofore described, the spring 40 will be placed under sulficient tension to return the several parts to the normal position in which they are shown in Figure 3 it being assisted in this operation by the spring 27.

Means is provided to lock the operating member 30 against operation and to thereby prevent opening of the door and in the present illustration of the invention, this means comprises a bolt or the like 50 which is adapted for reception within a recess 51 in one of the skirt portions 32 of the operating member 30. This bolt may be controlled or operated by a conventional type of cylinder lock such as 55 which is preferably mounted on the exterior of the door below the bead or the like 56 thereof when such bead is present upon the door. r

Thus it will be seen that when the cylinder lock 55 is operated to project its bolt 50 into the recess 51 in the skirt portion of the operating member 30, the operating member 30 cannot be depressed to move the latch bolt of the latch to door releasing position and thus the door is maintained locked.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new and novel mechanism for operating the latch bolt of vehicle door latches which operating means is flush with the exterior surface of that part of the door by which it is carried and which presents no projecting parts. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the present invention provides means by which the doormay be locked and secured in closed position.

While the invention has been herein illustrated in what may be termed a preferred form, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction herein shown, but that it may be practiced in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and what it is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a door having a latch and a window opening, a latch operating means comprising a reciprocating member mounted in one of the walls of the window opening and normally flush with the exposed face thereof, a pivoted lever a link connected to said reciprocatin member and said pivoted lever for rocking t e latter about its pivotal point, means connected to and aperated by said pivoted lever for moving the latch bolt to door releasing position upon operation of said reciprocating member, and

means for returning said reciprocating member and said latch bolt to normal position, said last mentioned means comprising a spring connected at one end to said pivoted lever, and at its opposite end to said door.

2. In combination with a door having a latch and window opening, a latch operating means comprising a reciprocating member mounted in one of the walls of the window opening and normally occupying a position flush with the outer surface thereof, a link pivotally connected to said reciprocating member, a lever pivotally connected at one end to said link and at its other end to the door, said lever being rockable about its second mentioned pivotal point upon depression of the reciprocating member, and latch bolt operating means pivotally connected to said pivoted lever at a point between its ends, and operable by movement of the lever, to move the latch bolt to door locking and releasing position.

3. In combination with a door having a latch and window opening, a latch operating means comprising a reciprocating member mounted in one of the walls of the window opening and normally occupying a position flush with the outer surface thereof, a link pivotally connected to said reciprocating member,a leverpivotally connected at one end to said link, and at its other end to the door, said lever being rockable about its second mentioned pivotal point upon de ression of the reciprocating member, latch bolt operating means pivotaHy connected. to said pivoted lever at a point between its ends, and operable by movement of the lever, to

move the latch bolt to door lockin and releasin position, and means for hol ling said latch bolt operating means normally in latch bolt projecting position.

In testimony wh ereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID WILSON. 

